Roy Keane does not believe Manchester United star Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a good defender, despite what some critics may think.
Wan-Bissaka, 25, started the last six Premier League games for the Red Devils after making just three appearances in all competitions prior to the World Cup. He has always been praised for his defending and Ten Hag believes he is "making good progress".
Yet Keane was not impressed with Wan-Bissaka's defensive performance against Arsenal on Sunday. The right-back was at fault for Eddie Nketiah's first goal in United's 3-2 defeat at the Emirates, as he failed to stop the Gunners striker from having a free header.
Keane was asked if Wan-Bissaka has improved. He told Sky Sports: "I don’t see that. I really don’t see that. He’s obviously not great in possession going forward so people always tend to say he’s a really good defender, but I actually don’t think he’s a good defender.
"You can see that as well from the other goal, I think he needs to do a lot better. I look at him over the last few years and don’t see that big of an improvement for a full-back, which is such a huge position to play for Man Utd. I don’t see it."
It is not the first time Keane has criticised Wan-Bissaka, who has played 135 games for United since he completed a £50million move from Palace in the summer of 2019. "Wan-Bissaka, I don't think Palace would even take him back," said Keane in October 2021.
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Keane's latest comments come just days after Ten Hag said: "He [Wan-Bissaka] is picking up the coaching and he's making good progress from the start of the season until now... He worked well in the pre-season before the second half of the season."
Not everyone agrees with Keane's assessment of Wan-Bissaka's defensive display on Sunday. Former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique tweeted: "He [Wan-Bissaka] is a very good defender, you can't take that from him. [Gabriel] Martinelli did nothing against him."
Yet fellow Sky Sports pundit Cesc Fabregas was also critical of Wan-Bissaka. The former Arsenal captain believes he should have been aware of where Nketiah was for his first goal.
Fabregas added: "I don’t think you need to even talk about if he’s a good defender or not, it’s about concentration. It could be a striker who is focused on the game and still clear it so it’s all about these little details in big games that make a difference."
Keane replied: "He seemed surprised, like, 'Where did you come from?' He must be aware of that. He looks at him!"
Diogo Dalot is close to a return to fitness and will be aiming to replace Wan-Bissaka in the starting XI. The Portugal international has played just three games in all competitions since the World Cup due to a hamstring injury sustained at the tournament in Qatar.
